Composite color process for printing pictures



apt. 2, 1924.

M. LIGHTER COMPOSITE COLOR PROCESS FOR PRINTING PICTURES Filed June 19 15mm;- E3 20 ,y mull! l'I IR 22 m I a INVENTOR MALL/11v L/cHrER BY 1 V H15 .4 TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept, 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,507,239 PATENT OFFICE.

MALVIN LIGHTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 MALVIN LIGHTER AND LOUIS JACOBS, PARTNERS, TRADING AS STIGKLIESS FAN COMPANY, Q15 NEW YORK, N. Y.

CQMPOSITE CQLOB PRIQGESS FOR PRINTING PICTURES.

Application filed June 19, 1823,

. '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALVIN LIGHTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Composite Color Processes for Printing Pictures, of which the following is a full, clear, and concise description.

' My invention relates to the printing of colored pictures, and is especially adapted for use in connection with the system of printing of pictures by means of the well known three or four color half tone method of reproduction.

However, my process may be also used to advantage in connection with the more ex pensive methods for printing pictures in a large number of colors, and in a general way may be considered as applying to composite color printing.

Asis well known in this art the printing of pictures in colors has been carried to a high degree of refinement, and especially so in some of the European countries. It is no unusual thing for a picture to be printed in as many as fourteen colors.

The system of printing pictures by means of the three of four color half tone method of reproduction above mentioned is now used in this country to a considerable extent, on account of its cheapness as compared with the older systems using much larger numbers of colors, but at the present stage of development the pictures printed with only three or four colors are, as a rule, somewhat inferior to those produced by the more elaborate and expensive systems, and employing colors in larger numbers.

Throughout a number of years of close observation, I have noticed that in actual practice pictures made in three or four colors, in the usualmanner, are apt to present an appearance very suggestive of inferiority and cheapness, no matter how fine may be the materials employed in doing the work, or how great the pains taken, or how much care may be used in the selection of the scenes to be printed,

l. have made the discovery, however, that I can print pictures by my composite color process, and using only three or four colors, to present to the eye of the casual observer the appearance of the finest and most expensive lithographic color printing; and to Serial No. 646,294.

present to the eye of even the trained expert a much better appearance than has heretofore been obtained by printing in a small number of colors. The manner in which I accomplish this result is to incorporate in the picture a ground work, such as a stippled surface, a crayon work surface or a grained surface, or a number of such surfaces, so arranged as to simulate the corresponding surface or surfaces usually present in color pictures made by the elaborate and expensive lithographic processes which have been used from time immemorial upon color pictures of the finest kind. In other words 1 find that in pictures printed in three or four colors the inferiority is not due primarily to the fact that colors used are reduced to three or four in number, but is attributable mainly to the fact that the shades and shadows of the picture can not be brought out to ad vantage unless printed from plates carrying shading made up of stipples or of crayon work or grain work or the like, so as to confer upon the picture the shading effects peculiar to high grade lithographic color printing.

More particularly stated, I make my pictures by the process of printing in three or four colors, but with this qualification, that in one or more of the printing plates used for applying the respective colors, some or all of the shading surfaces are so formed as to print shading consisting of stipples. crayon work or grain work, as the case may be, so as to simulate the shading to be found in pictures made by the elaborate lithographic color process.

Stating this feature a little more in detail, in making my plates for applying to the picture the colors to be used, say for example the three primary colors yellow, red and blue, I provide at least one of these plates, preferably the one used for the red or the blue color, and in some instances both of these two plates, with relief or intaglio surfaces for printing shadows made up of either stipples, crayon work or grain work, as the case may be. This done, by the use of the several plates for printing in succession the respective colors, the shading exhibited by the finished picture has an appearance closely simulating that of the finer pictures.

I have made the further discovery that in performing the steps just mentioned, it is practicable to so form the snrtaces of the printing plates that theshadi'ng' applied thereby may be graded with great refinement as to. the qualities known in this art as depth and solidity o't'coloraandithat the different colors applied by the different plates may be scientifically blended at .the

various points where the shading carried by one of the printing plates may happen to coincide with the shading carried by an other of the plates. The final result that the finished pictures may exhibit shading which is accurately modulated as to strength of color and also as to progressive blending of two or more colorsalong a given portion of the picture. For instance theshading of the plate may be so proportioned and arranged that in the finished picture there may be a shade which'at one point exhibits a predominance ot'red, and at another point exhibits a predominanceiof blue, and at interniediate 'points exhibits a successive gradation or gradualblending in colortrom red to blue. Again, the'picture may exhibit a piece of shading of which one part has a composite color in which red predomt nates, this color gradually dissolving at short distances from the part just mentioned, another part of the same shading having a composite color in which blue predominates, this color also dissolving at short distances from the part in which the blue predominates. It is practicable to so distribute .the shading surfaces carried by one or more plates as to vary within wide limits the relative intensity or coloring, and also the progressive change from one color to another; It is easy, by using good judgment and the experience obtained-by practice, to so distribute the shading surfaces upon the printing plates as to enhance the appearance of the printed picture far beyond what could ordinarily be expected in a picture printed in three of four colors, .in the manner well known in this art.

Before going further into the details of my improved process, I will for convenience refer briefly to the manner in which printing plates are now usually prepared ;for purposes ofcolor printing.

' Suppose that a particular picture, such as an'oil painting,is' to be copied; First a camera isplaced in front of th'eipicture, and is used in connection with-a so-ca'lld color filter, so as to photograph those parts ofthe picture of which the predominant color is, say yellow. Next another "filter is substituted, and a photograph is made of those parts of the picture of which the predominant color is, say, red. Lastly another filter is substituted, and another photograph taken, showing those partsot the picture in which the predominant color is, say, ablue. From the photographs thus taken, usually either three or .fourinlnumber according to eritable that one of the plates .inakes" a showing dependent upon the yellowco'lor to be found in the oil painting, another makes a showing dependent upon the red color, and the showing made by another of the plates is dependent upon the blue color of the painting. It also follows that the showings made by the several plates must differ from each other as the distribution of the several colors in the oil painting differ from each other, prepared are used separately for making three impressions upon as many separate sheets of paper,'lthe three impressions differ from each other as to the distribution of lights and shadows, and also to some extent as to the contour of such visible ob. jects as are tragmentarily shown by each lot the respective plates, in so far as'these objects may be discernible.

It is apparent, therefore, that at least one, and usually two, of the plates must be provided with shading surfaces in order that the finished picture shall disclose a shaded surface of the kind here contemplated.

Since it is hardly practicable to apply stippling, crayon work or grainwor-k to a plate after the plate is practically finished, it is necessary that the shading be made photographically, and this must be done at the time when the photographs are taken, preparatory to making the plates therefrom.

hat- 1 do, therefore, is to prepare the original picture by placing upon it, either by hand or by any appropriate mechanical means, an adequate number and variety of stipples, or equivalentcrayon work or grain Thus if "the three plates thus Work, so as to produce in the original picture the shading effect here contemplated. In doing this I confer upon the original picture, however produced, more or less shading or ground work simulating that which is produced in the finest kinds of lithographic color pictures. I may make the shading in one or more colors, either [by blending paints of two ormore colors, or by interspersing stipples or crayon work characters of one color among stipples or crayon work characters of a different color. This done, when the several photographs are taken and the several color plates made therefrom, one or more vof these plates will thus be provided. with shading derived from one of the colors used in shading the original picture, and another otthe plates will e2; hibit shading derived from another of the colors used in shading the original. It stands to reason, of course, that the plates thus produced will differ from each other in appearance.

Reference 1s made to the. accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, and in which like reference characters. indicate like parts throughout all of the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of an impression printed from a color plate made in accord ance with my invention, for use in printing at-hree color picture, the color to be applied by this particular plate being yellow.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an impression printed from another color plate for use in making the picture, this plate being for the purpose of applying the red color.

Figure 3 is a plan view of an impression printed from the third color plate to be used in making the picture, and is adapted for the purpose of applying the blue .color.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the oil painting or other picture to be copied, and therefore is a similar view of the finished picture, which is an exact copy of the oil picture, the shading of certain areas being exaggerated and selected somewhat arbitrarily inorder' to render clear the tion.

A solid yellow color appears at 5, and at 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are spots or patches also of yellow, but differing in form and size, and also differing in the density 01 solidity of the coloring. At 11 there is no coloring, the space thus left disclosing roughly in outline the representation of a dogs head.

In Figure 2 a solid red color is indicated at 12 and at 13, 14, 15, 16 at 17 and 18 are patches of the same color, differing from each other in form and size, and also in the density of the coloring. At 20 and 21 are shown patches of shading. made up either of stipples or crayon work characters or of grain work as the case may be, and at 21 and 22 are areas from which all color is absent.

In Figure 3 at 23 is shown asolid blue color, and at 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 are patches of the same color, these patches differing from each other in form and size as well as in the density of the color employed. At 31 no coloring is shown, and at 32, 33 and 34, there are patches of shading, for background effect. At 34 there is no color.

The coloring of the finished picture may be understood from Figure 4. At 35 is shown a solid but composite color, made by the overlapping of the yellow, the blue and the red. A 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42, are patches of composite coloring, these patches diflering from each other in form and size, and also in the density of the coloring. There is no coloring at 43. At 44 is an area of shading, in which there predominates a composite color made by blending together red and blue. At 45 is an area of shading, of which the predominating color approaches blue. At 46 is a shading area of-which the predominating color is principles of my invenstill nearer to true blue At 4'? is another shading area, the predominant color of which is red.

I will now explain how the various modulations of color are obtained in the finished picture, as represented more particularly in Figure 4.

I will assume that the general ground work of the picture is of composite color, made by overlapping very light tints of yellow, red and blue, and that the background thus produced is indicated at 35. Suppose now that upon the area 44 I apply by hand. or by any convenient mechanical method a patch of stipples or crayon work, in which the red and blue colors predominate. I can do this in either of two ways; that is, by applying red stipples, crayon work characters or grain work, interspersed with blue stipples, crayon characters or grain work, or by applying stipples, crayon work or grain work characters each made of a mixture of red and blue. The shading, no matter how made, is relatively heavy in color as compared with the ground work 35. If the original painting or other original picture thus prepared, as indicated at 44 in Figure 4, be now photographed as above described so as to filter out the three colors red, blue and yellow in the usual manner, the red and blue must of course manifest themselves; and when the respective color plates are made as a result of these photographs, and impressions are thereafter printed from these plates, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, the red color originally present in the area 44 in Figure 4 will show up as indicated at 21 in Figure 2, and the blue color will show up as indicated at 21 in Figure No cor-- responding indication will be made, however, in the yellow color shown at 5 in Fig ure 1. It stands to reason, therefore, that when the three color plates are used in printing a picture, and to this end three impressions are made in succession and corresponding to the impressions indicated respectively in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but caused to overlap or blend into single picture as shown in Figure 4, the color effect of the area 21 in red in Figure 2, and the area in blue in Figure 3, will make the composite effect indicated at 44 in Figure 4.

Suppose, again, that in the original picture I apply at 45 a patch of stipples, crayon work characters or grain work, as the case may be produced rather heavily in blue. The efiect is that when the picture is photographed with its colors filtered as above described, and three color plates made accordingly as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the area 33, in Figure 3 will appear as shaded; but there will. be no corresponding shaded area upon the corresponding part in Figure 1 or Figure 2. The final result must be that in the finished pictures the area 45 will crayon work appear as a heavy blue, qualifiedbythe gen eral eiiect of a light ibackgroundo t red and yellow overlapping each other. Thus the shadingat do in the finished picture Will be of composite color, in which blue predominates.

Suppose, again, that in the originalpid ture, I apply to the area d6 a patch of stipples, crayon work characters-or .grain work in blue, upon a lightyellow tinted SllllifflCB, but :that I carefully exclude all red. This being done, and the Qseveralsuccessive steps of the process being executed asabove described up to the point where the color plates are finished and impressions taken therefrom so asto overlap .eaoh other, itfollows .thatin the yellow impression contemplated by Figure 1 the yellow color will be uninform, while in Figure 2 there will be a vacancy 21 (practically a white spot), and in Figure 8 the area 3% will exhibit the stipples, crayon work or grain work. It follows that upon the entire showing .made by all of the plates the area e6 in the finished picture will show a shaded surface in blue, qualified slightly by the uniform yellow color extending throughout this same area, but .not qualified by any red color.

Suppose, again, that the area 47 in Figure 1 be provided with heavy stipples, characters or grain work made in red cOlOr upon a light yellow background, and the photographs taken and plates made accordingly as above described. An impression from the plate for printing the red color will now show stipples, crayon work or grain work in red, as indicated in Figure 521, but the corresponding area 34* in the impression made in 2101116, as indicated in Figure 3, will be blank, or in other. words will show simply as awhite surface qualified by the light and uniform background of yellow. The net result is thatin the finished picture the area 47 is shown as red, qualified slightly by yellow.

It will be noted that .the surfaces-6, 7, 8, 9'

and 10 in Figure 1 vary from each other slightly in form, and also in depth and intensity of coloring. This is also true of the surfaces 13, 14, 15, 16,17, 18, and 19 of Figure 2, and the surfaces 2&, 25, 26,27, 28, 29 and 30 in Figure 3. The reason why the various surfaces thus differ from each other, both as to form or contour and as to in tensity of coloring, is simply that the various colors are so applied. and distributed upon the original picture as may be understood by a careful study of the surfaces 36, 37, 3 39, L0, 41 and d2 of Figure {1. Thus these surfaces must show in the finished pictures very much like they show in the original oil painting or other picture to be copied.

l t to be understood that any ofthe surfaces just mentioned, or indeed any particular area ofthe oil pain-tingyor other picture toibecopiedwmay be provided. with .stipples, crayon work characters or grain work, either fineprroarse, light or heavy, .in one or more .colors. It-will also be. understood that tor purposes of the shading here conten'iplated, -I can use mixed colors-or separate colors, as -.judgment and experience may decree to' be the-best, considering ,the character a-ndquality of the work, the. prices at which it isu-to be done, the distance from which-the finished pictures are to ;be viewed by the observer, the sizes of the .pictu-res etc.

I find .it practicable to take a fine picture, preferably la well-executed copy of an oilpainting or the like, and to-add 'to this picture a considerable quantity of shading, made :38 above described, by applying to the pictnrethe stipples crayon work characters or grain work: This shading may be applied by hand or by any well known ins-- chanical expedient suitable :for the purpose, and as above indicatedmay be varied within wide limits as to colors and-as :to forms.

This done, and the various steps being performed in themanner well known in this art for printing pictures .in composite .colors. the finished pictures present to the eye of the observer the appearance of vmulti-color pictures made by expensive .multi-color lithography.

I do not limitmyself toithe use of any precise mechanism nor to the exact steps-above described for the purpose of carrying out in my invention, the scope of which is com--. mensurate with my claims.

Having thus described my invention what- I claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is as follows:

1. The method hereindescribed of producing copies of pictures printed in colors and improving the shading of said copies, which consists'iin taking a picture printed .in colors, improvingthe shading-of said picture by working upon the same by. hand, and then producing, iby aid ogt'ithe half-tone color process. copies of the original picture as a whole. y

2. The method herein described of producing copies of pictures printedin colors and at the same time improving the shading ofthe copies, which-consists in taking a colcred picture, applying to/the same as a distinct step a ground workrepresenting shadmg, and copying said picture as a whole by aid of the half tone color process.

'3. The method'iherein described'of .producing copies oflpictures printed in colorsand of improving the appearance of said copies as-thus produced, which consists in taking .a colored picture, applying to the same .a ground work wrought in colors and representing shading, and. producing by aid of coloredp'hotography copies of the original picture as-thustreateda v A. The method herein described of print- 111g colored pictures, which consists in applying to a colored picture to be copied a colored ground work simulating the ground WOIk of a picture produced by a multi-color lithographic process, and then making copice, by aid of composite color photography of the original picture thus treated.

5, The method herein described of print ing colored pictures, which consists in applying to a picture to be copied a ground work simulating the ground work of a picture produced by a multi-color lithographic process, then photographing the picture to be copied, making color plates from the photographs thus taken, and finally reproducing from said color plates a colored reproduction of the original picture,

6. The method herein described of copying colored pictures having the appearance of line lithographic printing, which consists in applying to a picture to be copied a ground work made up of stipples or crayon work and wrought in colors so as to simulate the ground Work of a picture produced by a multi-color lithographic process, and finally making copies, by aid of color photography, of the original picture thus treated.

7. The method herein described of producing copies of pictures printed in colors and of improving the appearance of said copies as compared with the original, which consists in taking a colored picture, applying to the same as a distinct step a ground work wrought in a plurality of different colors and representing shading, and then by aid of composite color photography, mak ing from the original picture thus treated copies in which said ground work is reproduced in its original colors.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17th day of February, 1923.

MALVIN LIGHTER, 

